Reflanging attachment for can sealers



June 1, 1937. c. NELSON 2,082,177

REFLANGING ATTACHMENT FOR CAN SEALERS I Filed July 8, 1955 2 SheecsSheet 1 [Tit 67212407 C421. NEL so/v June 1, 1937. c, NELSON I 2,082,177

REFLANGING ATTACHMENT FOR CAN SEALERS Filed July 8, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 TTO E E);

Patented June 1, 1937 PATENT OFFICE REFLANGING ATTACHMENT FOR CAN SEALERS Carl Nelson, Eau Claire, Wia, assignor to National Pressure Cooker Company, Eau Claire. Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application any 8, 1935, Serial No. 30,348

1 Claim. (am-1) This invention relates to new and useful improvementsin can sealers, and more particularly to an attachment adapted for use in connection with a can sealer, whereby the latter may be 5 utilized for reflanging used cans; that is, cans which have previously been opened by severing the metal of the body of the can directly below the closure to thereby remove the latter therefrom, and whereby the can is rendered fit for further use.

A further object is to provide a can sealer comprising upper and lower chuck plates between which the can is supported, and a refianging plate being demountably supported upon the lower chuck plate and having a portion adapted to be inserted into the open unfianged end of the can and surrounded by a concaved, annular reiianging surface adapted, upon rotation of the can, to outwardly flare the edge thereof and form a flange adapted to receive a suitable closure.

A further object is to provide a simple and inexpensive attachment for can sealers, whereby in addition to sealing cans, the sealer may also be used for reflanging cans after they have previously been opened to permit removal of the contents therefrom.

Other objects of the invention reside in the specific construction of the lower chuck plate, whereby the novel reflanging plate may be conveniently attached thereto; in the means for locking the refianging plate and the chuck plate against rotation, when the can is rotated with respect thereto in the operation of reflanging the upper edge thereof; and, in the simple and inexpensive construction of thereflanging plate,whereby it may be quickly attached to an ordinary can sealer to thereby adapt the same for reflanging the opened end'slof cans which have previously been used.

40 I Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description and accompanying drawings and will be pointed out in the annexed.

claim.

In the accompanying drawings there has been disclosed a structure designed to carry out the various objects of the invention, but it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the exact features shown as various changes may be made within the scope of the claim which follows. I

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a can sealer showing the invention embodied in the construction thereof;

Figure 2 is a sectional plan view substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, with some of the closure supported upon the reflanged open end of the can; and

Figure '7 is a perspective view of the reflanging 15 plate removed from the can sealer.

In the selected embodiment of the invention here shown, there is illustrated in Figure 1, for purposes of disclosure, a can sealer comprising a frame, generally indicated by the numeral 2, and 20 having suitable clamping elements 3 whereby it may be conveniently attached to a suitable support, such as a table top 4.

An upper chuck plate 5 is shown secured to a suitable gear wheel 6 mounted upon a shaft 1 25 supported in suitable bearings provided in a gear housing, generally indicated by the numeral 8. A pinion 9 meshes with the bevel gear 6 and has an operating crank I l, whereby the gear 6 and chuck plate 5 may be driven. The pinion 9 is supported 0 upon a, suitable shaft, not shown, supported in the gear housing 8.

Suitable seaming rollers l2 and I3 are supported upon arms l4 and 85, respectively, pivotally mounted in the upper portion of the frame 2, 35 as best shown in Figure 2. Mechanism, not shown, is provided for alternately moving the seaming rollers into and out of seaming engagement with the can closure, in the usual manner, when the crank II is operated. This mechanism. 40 forms no parfof the present invention, and it is therefore believed unnecessary to herein describe the same in detail. A suitable cutofl roller I6 is also pivotally mounted in the upper portion of the frame of the sealer and has an operating le- 45 ver i1, whereby it may be manually moved into operative engagement with the upper wall portion of a sealed can, thereby to cut the metal to remove the closure from the can.

An important feature of the present invention 59 resides in the means provided, whereby cans which have been opened, may be reflanged to receive a new closure, whereby they are rendered fit for further use.

The means provided for thus reflanging used 55 J open cans is shown consisting of areflanging plate,-

provided on the can generally indicated by the chuck plate IQ of the can sealer, as clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. The reflanging plate l8 has its marginal edge shaped as shown at 2| in Figures 1, 2 and 7, whereby a concaved, annular seat is provided adapted to receive and outwardly flare the edge of the can, and the raised portion 20 of the reflanging plate is' adapted to enter the mouth of the open can, as best shown in Figure 3. The outwardly turned marginal flange oi the reflanging plate I 8 is adapted to be seated in an annular groove 22 in the upper face of the chuck plate is. A pin or stud 23 has one end secured in the reflanging plate and is adapted to be received in an aperture 24 provided in the chuck plate [9, and an aperture 25 provided tatably mounted upon the stub shaft 21 of the lower chuck plate l9. The aperture 25 is alined with the aperture 24 so that the pin 23 may readily be inserted through said apertures, as illustrated in Figure 3, thereby to secure the chuck plate is to the lever 26, as will readily be understood. A suitable cam adJusting lever 28 is shown removably secured in the arm 26 by a suitable set screw 23.

The shaft 2'! is rotatably supported in a suitable bearing 3i provided in the lower portion of the machine frame, and is adapted for vertical movement therein by suitable cams 32 and 33 provided in the lower portion of the machine frame and the arm 26, respectively, as best shown in Figure 1. These cams cooperate to elevate the lower chuck plate l9 and therefore the reflanging plate i 8, when the lever 28 is oscillated in a direction towards the left, when viewed as shown in Figure 1.

In the operation of reflanging a can, the empty can is placed in an inverted position between the chuck plates 5 and IS, with its open end engaging the raised portion 20 of the reflanging plate l8, as best shown in Figure 1. The operator then rotates the crank i I, and, at the same time, gradually moves the can adjusting lever 28 to the left, whereby the lower chuck plate, bearing the reflanging plate I8, is gradually moved upwardly, with the result that the marginal edge of the can body 'is forced downwardly over the annular concaved surface 2| of the reflanging plate, and is outwardly flared, as illustrated in Figure 3. It is to be understood that the can is constantly rotated during the reflanging operation, whereby the marginal edge of the can is gradually expanded and stretched into the shape shown in Figure 3, until an outwardly turned flange is body, as shown at 34 in Figures 5 and 6, adapted'to receive a suitable closure 35 of ordinary construction. A suitable gasket 36 is shown interposed between the flange 34 of the can body and the closure 35.

I have found that by constantly rotating the can, as the reflanging plate is thrust upwardly by manipulation of the lever 28, the flange 34 will be accurately formed, regardless of the usual seam 31 provided in the body of the can, as clearly illustrated in Figure 5.

simple and may readily be performed by an in- I numeral 18, which is ,shown detachably supported upon the lower of the cam arm 23, and

in an arm 26, ro-

The operation is very the reflanging plate and can sealer being so conexperienced person, chuck plates-of the structedthat thecan .cannot. readily be inaccurately positioned between the chuck plates I and i9.

In Figure 3 it will be noted that aspacing washer 38 is shown interposed between the upper surface the lower face of the hub of the chuck plate I8. This spacing washer serves to accurately space the chuck plates I and I8 apart, and to compensate for the shortening of the can body, as a result of the closure having been removed therefrom.

When the operation of reflanging the can has been completed, the reflanging plate I 8 may readily be removed from the lower chuck plate is, whereby the'can sealer is rendered operative to hermetically seal the flanged can.

The novel attachment herein disclosed thus provides means whereby an ordinary can sealer may be quickly converted into a machine for reflanging used cans, whereby such cans may be used over several times before they are flnally discarded, thereby greatly economizing in the number of cans required, with a resultant economy in the canning operation. It is to be understood that each time a can is opened, a portion of the upper edge of the wall thereof is removed by the cutting roller i6, whereby the overall height of the can obviously becomes shorter. It is therefore, necessary to substitute spacing washers 38 of different thickness, depending upon the number of times the can has been opened and reflanged.

The reflanging plate i8 is so constructed that it may be used in connection with the lower chuck plate, without materially altering the construction thereof. The outer curved flange of the reflanging plate is received in the annular recess or seat provided in the chuck plate, and the pin 23 locks the reflanging plate to the chuck plate is, and the latter to the cam arm 23, so that all of these parts rotate as a unit, when the cam adjusting lever 28 is operated. The reflanging plate I8 is, of course, furnished in different diameters, corresponding to the various sizes of cans, whereby the can sealer may be used for sealing and reflanging all standard sizes of cans.

I claim as my invention:

The combination with a can sealer comprising upper and lower chuck plates between which the can is supported, an arm supporting the lower chuck plate, and said lower chuck plate and arm having alined apertures therein, of a reflanging attachment comprising a reflanging plate having an outwardly flared marginal edge against which the edge of the open end of the can body is pressed to outwardly'flare it to provide a flange for supporting the can closure, and said reflanging plate having a pin'flxed thereto adapted to be received in the alined apertures in the lower chuck plate and said arm, thereby to lock the reflanging plate, lower chuck plate, and said arm together for movement as a unit, and whereby the reflanging plate is positively held against rotation, when the upper chuck plate is actuated to rotate the can.

' CARL NELSON. 

